Back in the dark ages (ok, the 1970s), a brilliant crafty woman started travelling around the Mid-west showing up on local TV shows talking about her Crafts from Trash.  She'd use anything we'd normally throw away -- yes, this was before recycling -- and make something from great from it.  In Cleveland, she'd appear at least once a month on the channel 5 morning show.  Her name? Carol Duval.

Yes, THAT Carol Duval. I had been making up crafty things since as far back as I could remember, but seeing her doing the same stuff on TV validated my creative spirit.

Much of the crafting that I do is istill inspired by recycling and re-using items I already have. I am enamored by all the thrifty and "green" blogs that exist, and thrilled to see that GreenOptions is hosting a new Green Crafting blog: Crafting a Green World edited by Victoria Everman. As she explained, while proclaiming "green" to be "the new black":

For those of us who enjoy being a part of the creative process or are beginning to experiment with do-it-yourself projects, then Crafting a Green World is for you! We’ll be featuring everything from eco-patterns, supplies, and creators to book reviews and event/sale notices. Crafting a Green World (CAGW) is working to be your #1 resource for organic, natural, and recycled crafty projects, products, media, and businesses. Whether you are a novice, a pro, or somewhere in between, Crafting a Green World will have the sustainable crafty content you are looking for.

You can also follow Crafting A Green World on Twitter.

What are some other blogs that have successfully demonstrated the recycling spirit in their crafts?

SuperNaturale is a site dedicated to the DIY spirit.  With a tag line like: Making Art out of Everyday Life you know they speak me!  Their site features interviews with crafters and artists, their book, and much more.

A member of the CraftGossip Blog network, Recycled Crafts (trash to treasure) is a useful shopping resource for the those who have taken the Handmade Challenge this year.

In a later post, I will point to specific individuals who are making great recycled crafts and writing wonderful documenting tutorials of their process. Who's blog and which project would you recommend for this list?

Debra Roby blogs her creative life at A Stitch in Time and her mundane life at Deb's Daily Distractions .and can be found regularly chirping at Twitter.